What does the word "Evening" as in the latter part of the day, derive from?

Answer 1

The dictionary simply states that the word is Old English, with eve being a poetic useage. I would imagine that as the word is describing the late day and approaching darkness that the word is possibly describing the "even-ing out of light" i.e. slowly growing dimmer from the strong light of day?

Answer 2

Evening:
1. the latter part of the day and early part of the night.
2. the period from sunset to bedtime: He spent the evenings reading.
3. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. the time between noon and sunset, including the afternoon and twilight.
4. any concluding or declining period: the evening of life.
5. an evening's reception or entertainment: Their evenings at home were attended by the socially prominent.
–adjective 6. of or pertaining to evening: The evening sky shone with stars.
7. occurring or seen in the evening: the evening mist.

Origins:
[bef. 1000; ME; OE ǣfnung, equiv. to ǣfn(ian) draw toward evening + -ung n. suffix]

[Middle English, from Old English ǣfnung, from ǣfnian, to become evening, from ǣfen, evening.]

[Middle English, from Old English efen.]

Answer 3

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ǣfnung, from ǣfnian to grow toward evening, from ǣfen evening; akin to Old High German āband evening and perhaps to Greek epi

whereas even as in smooth comes from the Old English efen. It seems two different words have become similar as the vowel-sounds merged.

Answer 4

Middle English-. The coming on of "even" a time about sunset